Essex
The Essex was a warship captained by the villainous Lieutenant John Scarfield of the British Royal Navy. She was crushed into pieces by the Silent Mary during a failed attempt at destroying the Black Pearl, taking her crew to the depths. History It's unknown when or where the Essex was built, but by 1751As evidenced by Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Movie Graphic Novel, the events of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales are set in 1751. she was under the command of Lieutenant John Scarfield, the commanding officer of the British forces on the island of Saint Martin in the Lesser Antilles.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Following the escape of the infamous pirate Jack Sparrow, the alleged witch Carina Smyth, and the Royal Navy deserter Henry Turner, from Saint Martin, Scarfield and his crew set sail on the Essex to find the outlaws and bring them to justice. However, the ultimate goal of Scarfield's pursuit was the legendary Trident of Poseidon, with which he intended to conquer the seas for the British Empire. After a few days, the Essex caught up with the Dying Gull, an old pirate sloop in which the pirates escaped from Saint Martin. However, when Scarfield's men captured the Gull, the three fugitives were not onboard anymore. The imprisoned pirates were locked in the ship's brig but they managed to escape the same day when the night fell. That night the Essex managed to intercept the Black Pearl, a pirate ship whose crew was trying to find the Trident. The crew of the Essex quickly took their battle stations, preparing to annihilate the pirate vessel with their superior firepower. However, as their attention was focused on the Pearl, the British didn't notice another threat behind them. The Silent Mary, the ghost ship of the undead Spanish pirate hunter Armando Salazar, emerged from the darkness, shocking Scarfield when he saw the Spanish vessel bending its bow high in the air. Controlled by Salazar's supernatural powers, the Mary came crashing down on the Essex, causing an explosion that cut the British vessel in half, sending her to the bottom of the sea with her entire crew. Behind the scenes *In Dead Men Tell No Tales, the Essex was portrayed by the same prop vessel that portrayed the Monarch and the uncursed version of the Silent Mary. The filming took place at Helensvale, Australia.Disney Pirates: The Definitive Collector's Anthology, p122. *The ship was identified as Essex in the film's novelizationPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales Novelization, p211., comic book adaptation, the prequel novel The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina SmythThe Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth, p208., and Jeremy Love's concept artwork.artstation.com Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Men Tell No Tales - Gallery 2 However, the ship's name was never mentioned in the film. *The portrayal of the Essex and her crew contains several historical inaccuracies. :*As a warship of the British Royal Navy, the Essex should be called the HMS Essex. However, the prefix HMS (His Majesty's Ship) was never mentioned in Dead Men Tell No Tales or any related material. :*The Essex is commanded by John Scarfield, an officer with the rank of lieutenant. In real-world history, the biggest ships the Royal Navy lieutenants could command were smaller vessels like sloops and brigs. A lieutenant could command a warship like the Essex only if the ship's captain was absent, indisposed or was killed in action. However, given this fact, it may be possible that the captain of the Essex could have been killed prior the events of the film, allowing Scarfield to take command of the warship. :*The Essex flies a large Union Jack from the stern flagstaff. In real-world history, in 1751, the time in which the film is set, the Royal Navy vessels were required to fly the Union Jack from the jackstaff at the head of the bowsprit. :*Historically, all the Royal Navy ships that patrolled the Caribbean and the North Atlantic were part of the red squadron, which used the Red Ensign as its symbol. The Essex does not fly any ensign. :*Gunlocks are visible on the cannons on the Essex's main deck as an officer cocked them during a scene in the film. In real-world history, gunlocks were rare since they only could be adapted to new guns, and only became a standard issue in the British Royal Navy around the 1800s, almost fifty years after the events of Dead Men Tell No Tales. *Historically, the Royal Navy had a warship named the [[wikipedia:HMS Essex (1679)|HMS Essex]] in 1751, a year in which Dead Men Tell No Tales is set. Unlike the POTC ship, the real Essex was wrecked off the coast of France in 1759, after the battle of Quiberon Bay. Appearances *''The Brightest Star in the North: The Adventures of Carina Smyth'' *''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales'' **''Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales: Movie Graphic Novel'' Notes and references de:HMS Essex it:HMS Essex Category:British Royal Navy ships Category:Ships of the line Category:Warships Category:Destroyed vessels